June 30, 2007

Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW.

Seaweeds and seagrass, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells. shells heavy, with dead mussels. Debris: 300 feet rope; 1 buoy

minor boulder falls

On June 30, 2007, I descended at the usual access point. I walked south to the half-mile stopping point and returned. Observations:Lots of dead starfish and mussels, more than usual. The water is a murky color, observed from both far and near.Picked up three bags of trash (can't believe that only two weeks after our project, there is THAT much more to retrieve). Largest item is a standard-sized plastic dairy crate, about 1 cubic foot.Found 300 feet of crab pot rope plus one attached buoy left by the sea wrapped around two rock columns and hanging in the air. It was so odd-looking, I thought at first it had been hung by humans, but I think the ocean just left it that way. I took the buoy home, and I used the rope to improve the steep westside access cliff trail.The rusted drum is still there. I took pictures of its graphics and will send them to the Coast Guard.The loose crab pot is where I left it, near the hoisting point. I am still optimistic about getting [it] out of there somehow.The apparently buried second pot is now invisible -- the ropes are buried under sand/rock in Cove 5 or Cove 6. If the ropes become uncovered again, I'll dig and see what I find, but their position, length, and diameter indicates a shallowly-buried crab trap.There were no seals in the usual places, but a number of the adult seals were just offshore of those coves, so maybe the fishing was good, and they couldn't pass it up.Bonus! I managed to dig the second white drum out of the wood and rocks in Cove 4. It is plastic, missing one end so it's empty, and I will carry it to Cove 1 and get it up the cliffs before winter.I didn't carry anything out up the cliffs. I think in subsequent trips, I'll go to the south access and toss one end of a rope down to the beach -- then I'll go down the west access, and after doing my observations, I'll tie a load on the rope, go back up the west side, out the south access, pull the stuff up, and hike it out. This seems like something one person can do, and do safely.The article about the big trash liftout that happened two weeks ago is supposed to be out within the next few days, and I will send one copy to CoastWatch if/when that happens.